


if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor  (Bears Will Be Bears)

by MadHare0512



Series: fantasy seems to have become reality (love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment) [2]
Category: Grimm (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Ancestors, Author Is Sleep Deprived, Author's Favorite, Breaking and Entering, Canon-Typical Violence, Don't Try This At Home, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode Related, Episode: s01e02 Bears Will Be Bears, F/F, F/M, Fix-It of Sorts, Gay, Hurt/Comfort, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, M/M, Medical Inaccuracies, Medical Procedures, Minor Character Death, Multi, Nightmares, Polyamorous Character, Polyamory, The Author Regrets Nothing, Timeline What Timeline, Timeline alteration, Traditions, Violence, Wesen Character(s), don't do drugs kids, episode rewrite, monroe literally rips someone's arm off
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-01
Updated: 2020-04-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:08:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,812
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23430700
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MadHare0512/pseuds/MadHare0512
Summary: Here's the thing about tradition. After so long, it evolves into something new and modern. When traditions don't evolve with the times, eventually they take over you and your obsession becomes your downfall. You'll do anything to uphold the tradition. Anything at all."She looked through the window and peeped through the keyhole, seeing nobody in the house, she lifted the latch."
Relationships: Adalind Schade/Juliette Silverton, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Nick Burkhardt & Hank Griffin, Nick Burkhardt & Juliette Silverton, Nick Burkhardt/Monroe, Nick Burkhardt/Rosalee Calvert, Nick Burkhardt/Rosalee Calvert/Monroe, Rosalee Calvert/Monroe
Series: fantasy seems to have become reality (love is the only reality and it is not a mere sentiment) [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617997
Comments: 7
Kudos: 62





	if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor  (Bears Will Be Bears)

**Author's Note:**

> This took too damn long to finish! Jesus. I blame my new job, me being me, and the fact that I lost over half of it at the time that I was nearly finished with it. Anyway, it's finally here! Hope you like it!

if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor  
(Bears Will Be Bears)

By: AndiKaneUnderwood

**AU: Canon Divergence, Altered Timeline**

_"If a race has no history, if it has no worthwhile tradition, it becomes a negligible factor in the thought of the world, and it stands in danger of being exterminated."  
_ _~Carter G. Woodson_

Here's the thing about tradition. After so long, it evolves into something new and modern. When traditions don't evolve with the times, eventually they take over you and your obsession becomes your downfall.

You'll do anything to uphold the tradition.

Anything at all.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

_"She looked through the window and peeped through the keyhole, seeing nobody in the house, she lifted the latch."_

The house was beautiful, big and expensive, and perfect for their needs right then. Gilda panted as she and Rocky raced up to the steps. Rocky broke through the glass and reached in to unlatch the door. Both of them were breathing hard now, either from the extortion or the adrenaline. Gilda felt a thrill of excitement fluttering in her stomach, shooting sparks up her spine as she stepped inside the house. They went looking around, flashing their lights and knowing the owners were gone for the night. The house was full of all kinds of crazy artifacts and Gilda made a note to ask Rocky to grab a few. If they were expensive enough, Ecstacy would come easily.

They continued through the house, finding the dining room, the living room, and the kitchen. They stopped in the kitchen and Gilda turned on the lights. The entire room was decked out in expensive marble countertops and an even _more_ expensive wine collection. "Oh," Gilda gasped, " _Nirvana_." She turned and opened the fridge, looking at the contents with reverence and awe. "Why weren't we born rich?" she whined to her boyfriend.

"Cause our parents didn't have any money." Rocky looked over the wine collection as he spoke, wondering which one would taste the best when he took a shot off Gilda's body. He picked up one of the older looking bottles and read the date. He hummed quietly and turned to take it back to the beautiful blonde.

They went rooting through the clothes in the closets, trying things on and admiring the expensive fabrics. They grabbed what food they could, eating as much as they could stand before standing and toasting each other, pretending for the night that they were rich. "Shall we go on our yacht, darling?" Rocky asked in a fake British accent.

"Which one?" Gilda played with her hair as she spoke, playing up the 'airheaded blonde' stereotype.

They drank deeply as Rocky chuckled. Gilda tossed her glass into the fire, laughing in delight as the flames jumped and Rocky chased her up the stairs. "Slow down!" Rocky protested tipsily, stumbling over himself in his haste to follow.

"Oh, you wish!" Gilda laughed, rushing out of sight as Rocky climbed up the stairs on all fours.

Ricky laughed as he went looking, calling for his girlfriend as he did. His head was pleasantly fuzzy and he couldn't wait to get on with it. He wanted Gilda now. "Where do you think..." he glanced up, catching sight of the ceiling, "You're going." The rafters had more of those freaky artifacts. These stared at him as they stood above everything, watching his every move. Rocky suppressed a shudder. A scream as Gilda bowled him over, causing him to land on his back on the bed. He laughed, rolling them over and kissing her once, twice, three times.

Gilda pushed him off, slipping off the bed with a grin and a sly, "Catch me if you can."

Rocky took the challenge, hopping off the bed and giving chase, "Oh, I can." He came to a stop in the bigger bedroom, looking at the grey sheets and swinging around to spot Gilda. "Gilda, come on," he called. He shucked off his tie, laying back on the bed. He looked up and saw her.

Gilda wore a big fuzzy robe and a fedora. She licked her lips, pulling apart the robe to reveal her lacy pink bra and matching underwear. She threw aside the robe and jumped onto the bed, letting Rocky roll her underneath him and kiss her breathless. They went to town, tearing buttons off shirts, wrist cuffs, and pants in their haste to get closer. They were so wrapped up in each other, so quick to get to it, that didn't notice the headlights until the squeal of the breaks hit Gilda's ears.

She shot up, "What was that?"

Rocky strained to hear, but nothing came to him. "What?"

"I think I heard a car."

Rocky pulled Gilda closer, willing to ignore it until it became a problem, and kissed her neck, "No, you didn't."

She laughed, "Rocky, stop! Go look out the window."

"Now?"

"Yeah, go!" Gilda nodded to the window, leaning over and snagging Rocky's jeans so he could pull them on, pushing them to his chest.

Rocky sighed, tugging on his jeans as he went to look. When he saw them, panic overtook him. He raced back, "Somebody's here, you're right. Come on, let's go."

Gilda quickly tugged on her jeans, leaving the belt undone and grabbed her t-shirt and jacket, grabbing Rocky's sleeve. "No, no, no, not the door. The window!" She went down first, quickly jumping the railing and letting herself hang until she could let go. She landed with a grunt and pushed herself to her feet, looking up at Rocky.

"You okay?" Rocky asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Gilda smiled, "Come on, let's go. Hurry up!" Rocky started to come out, but something grabbed his leg and he was pulled back with a yelp. A roar penetrated the night. "Rocky, what are you doing?" Gilda said exasperatedly, wondering what Rocky was trying to pull.

Another roar and Rocky shouted. Gilda backed away nervously. As the shouts grew louder, Gilda glanced at the woods, stepping towards them as she glanced between the window and the relative safety of the trees where the truck was waiting. She went running; whatever this was, she couldn't face it on her own. Maybe if she could get away, she could get help. Something growled, jumping from behind the car and rushing after her. Gilda made it to her truck and turned the key. The engine spluttered for a moment, then roared to life.

Gilda shifted the gear and tore out of the driveway.

She didn't look back once.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Nick looked up as the door was opened, hand fastening his watch almost automatically. He nodded to the man as he stopped by the bed and asked, "Are you still dizzy?"

Nick shook his head, "I'm alright."

The doctor looked over the chart, studying the results from the blood they'd gotten off Nick when they found him unconscious in his Aunt's room. "Well, your liver enzymes are elevated," he flipped a page, "And we found traces of a neurotoxin in your blood. PHTX3, which is usually associated with a spider bite. Lucky you didn't get more of it or it would've paralyzed your lungs."

Nick nodded, calm on the outside, but his mind spun. Someone had tried to kill his Aunt, someone had tried to kill _him_. He'd checked with Juliette while the doctor was running the tests, Adalind had been home all night. So who the Hell had come in with that syringe?

"Well, if you feel lightheaded or feverish, come on back," the doctor closed his file.

Nick nodded, "All right." Once he signed the papers, he walked out of the room to run into Monroe and Rosalee.

"Nick, we were so worried." Rosalee drew Nick into a hug and he sighed, hugging her back.

Monroe set a hand on Nick's shoulder, pulling him in the second Rosalee let him go. "You're okay, right?"

Nick nodded, "I'm fine, I'm okay."

They walked with him as he headed out the door. "Hank called, said he'd be in the lobby. He's going to wait with me for the after-action report," he told them.

They glanced at each other and nodded. Monroe stopped him, pulling him in for another hug, then a kiss. Rosalee followed suit, a hug then a kiss. As both offered promises to be at home that night, he nodded and smiled, pressing kisses to both of their cheeks and watching as they left, wishing he could go with them. As it was, he shook off the lingering worry and went to find Hank.

Hank, true to his word, was waiting by the doors. "They find anything wrong with you?"

"Just a few toxins in the blood," Nick replied as they headed out the doors.

"Just a few toxins? Like the ones that can kill you?" Hank questioned, worry prominent in his eyes.

"Well, apparently not." Nick deadpanned. _I'm still here, after all._

"You gonna be okay?" Hank asked.

Nick thought about it, then looked at Hank. Spreading his arms a bit, he asked, "How do I look?"

"Like a cop who's been working all night."

With a teasing smile, Nick replied, "Aw, that's funny, Hank. That's how you look."

Hank laughed, "Well, then you look good."

They passed by Nick's Aunt's room and Nick noticed the bustle. Worried, he came over to see how she was doing. "Marie," he murmured.

The doctor held up a hand, warning him away, "She's not stable. We can't allow anyone in the I.C.U. yet."

"When can I talk to her?" Nick asked, hoping it to be soon. He wanted to know more about Grimms and Wessen. He wanted to more about what was going on with him. He'd been assured by Monroe and Rosalee that he wasn't going crazy, but that didn't change the fact that he felt like he was. He didn't understand a lot of what was going on and he was so scared.

"After we're done running the tests." The doctor noticed his upset face and sighed, "We can't risk letting her slip back into a coma. I'll call you the minute we know something."

Nick nodded, stepping back as the doctor closed the door. He met Marie's eyes through the glass. She watched him until her eyes closed as she fell asleep. Nick continued looking in until his attention was taken by his Captain's question. "How is she?"

"Well, she came out of the coma, but they're still running tests," Nick replied, not taking his eyes off his Aunt.

"When did the attack happen?"

"About ten minutes after I got here. She came up behind me. She had a syringe in her hand."

"How do you know she wasn't a nurse?" Renard asked quietly.

Nick felt annoyance fight with respect and had to push it down, but light sarcasm still colored his voice as he spoke, "Well, she stuck a needle in me and she ran away.

Renard nodded, conceding to Nick's point, "You think you can identify her?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah, she should be on the security tapes."

Hank spoke up, "I grabbed them when I got here, they're on their way to the precinct."

Renard gave a thoughtful hum. "Let's take a look at those tapes. If we've got another killer on our hands, we better get on this."

Renard led the way and Hank followed, but Nick stayed a moment longer. He wanted to stay with his Aunt, he wanted to protect her. He shook his head with a sigh and followed Hank out the door.

As he headed with Hank to the older male's car, his mind spun, working an idea over and over.

Nick understood why Monroe and Rosalee had hidden their Wessen species away from him. He knew he'd never have believed it until the proof was right in front of him. He was a person who didn't believe until it was seen, which had bothered his partners a lot at the start of their relationship. Nick believed them both, loved them too much to just leave them over something like this, but he also knew that this was something big and while he knew why they'd hidden it from him, it still hurt that they had. Nick had planned to stay with Juliette and Adalind a few days, stating that he was figuring something out. Monroe and Rosalee would understand, they did the same sometimes. Rosalee would stay with her brother, Monroe would stay in the storage room he kept meaning to clean out, and they would take their frustrations out on their work until they were calm enough to talk things out.

One thing Nick had learned being in this relationship, they where all a bit hotheaded and this relationship had no room for that. It was better to work out your frustrations before talking to your partners. You couldn't take your anger out on them, that was no way to treat _anyone_. Trust and communication were key factors and Nick did his best to abide by that.

He was brought out of his thoughts again by their arrival at the precinct. Renard set up the tapes and they silently watched the tapes on fast-forward until Renard broke the silence right as the camera showed Nick walking into his Aunt's room. "When's the last time you saw your Aunt before this?"

"Not for a couple of years," Nick replied, "I don't know what she's been up to." The camera showed a woman with blonde hair walking into the room and Nick jumped to his feet, "That's her!"

Hank took a look at the woman, seeing nothing of her face. "Was she alone?"

"She's the only one I saw," Nick replied.

"It'll be difficult to make an I.D. from the back," Renard noted. "Is this all you've got?"

"Yeah," Hank nodded, wondering how they never saw the woman's face. Maybe she'd done this before?

Renard sighed, "Let me know if you get something we can work with." He went back to his office.

Nick watched the paused video and sighed. Hank glanced between the screen and his upset friend, "Dude, what did your Aunt do to piss off so many people? She works for the government or something?"

Nick sighed, wondering if he'd truly even _known_ the woman who'd looked after him after his parents had died. He was sitting down when another officer came up, "I had a D.U.I out on Highway 2 about an hour ago. Driver's got some crazy story about her boyfriend being attacked. Her name's Gilda Darner."

Nick and Hank glanced at each other as the cop walked away, simultaneously they rolled over in their chairs to get a look at the girl. Hank knew immediately what to do, glancing at Nick with a subtle smirk, "What do you think?"

Nick hummed, "She's grown up way too fast, single parent if she has any, takes way too man chances and looks for excitement in all the wrong places."

Hank smiled, his distraction had worked, "Sounds like me."

Nick chuckled, "Yeah, look how you turned out." ' _A good man and a good partner,'_ he silently added to himself as he followed Hank out of his chair. Nick started the conversation because he was the least physically threatening. He didn't look like he could hold his own and knew it, used to his advantage, and counted on it when dealing with suspects. Quite similar to how he'd done with the postman. He put that thought back in its box and spoke, "Gilda Darner?"

She looked up and Nick knew immediately that whatever she had to say, it would be tough to hear. Be it because she was lying or because she was too young to go through it. Gilda told them about what had happened, about her boyfriend breaking the window, about them stealing the food and clothes, about how they'd been about to have sex before the owners came home. She told them about climbing out the window and watching Rocky get pulled back inside, about how she'd run back to the truck and been chased by some kind of monster, and about how she'd started the truck and drove off without looking back.

Nick and Hank glanced at each other again, then agreed to ride with Gilda out to the house.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

They pulled up to a house in the middle of the woods. Nick looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. He glanced at Hank, raised an eyebrow, _'Are we sure?'_

Hank nodded and Nick dropped it as Gilda spoke, "This is the house. This is where it happened."

"Somebody got here before us," Hank observed as the breaks squealed slightly.

Nick turned to Gilda and held up a hand, "Stay in the car." It was meant as a request, but it came from the mouth of a recently-injured and upset cop, so it sounded more like the protective order it was. No one wanted Gilda hurt, Nick least of all, and she _was_ under arrest for a DUI so her staying in the car would be the best option.

Gilda rolled her eyes with a huff but nodded as Nick and Hank left the car and headed to the stairs. Their Sergent, Andrew Wu, came over with confusion written on his face. "What are you guys doing here? I haven't even called it in yet."

"What do you have?" Nick asked, standing to one side and waiting patiently.

"Breaking and entering," Wu replied leading Nick and Hank around the house, "Mr. and Mrs. Rabe got back from Seatle a couple of hours ago and found their house broken into. Somebody raided the fridge, hit the liquor cabinet, tried on some clothes and test-drove a couple of beds."

"Any sign of violence?" Hank asked.

"No," Wu led them around the back, "No blood, no body parts. Only stains we've come up with are wine and whoopee. Who's her missing boy-toy?"

"She says his name is Rocky," Nick answered.

"We're still trying to figure out how much of her story is true," Hank added.

Sgt Wu showed them the entry point and Nick hummed, "Well, she's coping to the B and E, so some of it is."

Hank glanced at Nick, then back at Wu, "Where are the owners?"

Wu gesture inside with a jerk of his head, "Upstairs." He opened the door and led them inside. They followed him up the stairs and to the bedroom where a couple stood, fusing over their bed.

"Somebody's been sleeping in our bed," the woman huffed, crossing her arms as she and her husband stood across from the Detectives.

" _Sleep_ had nothing to do with what they were doing in our bed," the man snapped.

Nick went to take a look around while Hank asked the couple some questions. He knew exactly what was being asked about the alarm system, but his attention was mostly the scratches on the window sill. He was puzzling it over in his head, wondering if they'd fit Rocky or Mr. and Mrs. Rabe when Wu's voice came from over his shoulder and murmured, "You should see the living room."

Nick looked at him curiously, then followed him back down the stairs with Mr. Rabe on his heels. Nick glanced around with a look of shock, mixed with impression. These two kids could do that much in the hour or two they'd been there? He knelt next to a fallen bottle and took the pen from his pocket to prod at it. CSI hadn't been in yet and he didn't want to mess with anything, but he _did_ have an investigation to conduct. He'd just have to be gentle. "Nothing was stolen?" he asked.

Mr. Rabe answered him, "We don't know yet. Nothing obvious."

Nick stood and looked about, looking for signs of something being taken off the walls or someone having been dragged away. Those marks on the window hadn't gotten there by accident and Nick didn't want to think it, but sometimes killers could be as unassuming as a family with weird artifacts around their home. He'd tell Hank about it later, but for now, he was content to look for more clues.

"You have quite a collection," Hank observed, looking at one of the artifacts. "Is that a Fijian War Club?"

Mrs. Rabe nodded, "Yes, actually, it is."

Hank pointed to a different artifact, "And a New Guinea Tribal Fork. This is some valuable stuff."

Mr. Rabe leaned on the counter, "You know your Aboriginal art."

Hank looked around again, then saw something new. "I've never seen one like that before." The artifact in question was what looked like a wooden bear claw with a bear head carved out of the end of the handle and wrapped in leather cords.

"It's uh, Germanic. Very rare, from about 900 AD." Mrs. Rabe explained, "We belong to organizations that protect native land from development."

Nick perked up, glancing back at her as she continued.

"There's a lot of rich cultural heritage disappearing and we're trying to protect what's left. Both locally and globally-"

Mr. Rabe cut his wife off, "Honey, I think you're getting a little irrelevant."

Hank chuckled and Mrs. Rabe smiled, "Well, you have to respect your ancestors. Right, Detective?"

"I had to respect mine," Hank agreed. "Otherwise, I couldn't sit down for a week."

Nick came in close to examine the German artifact. Monroe had mentioned that he could read and speak German, maybe Monroe would know something about German artifacts too. God, he'd have to get Monroe registered as a Civilian Informant at this rate. He prayed he wouldn't have to, criminals had a habit of going after CIs. "Did anyone else have access to the house while you were away?" he questioned.

"Just our cleaning people, our son Barry who's staying with some friends, and our neighbors, the Colberts, who check on our house form time to time when we're out of town." Mr. Rabe replied, checking over the liquor cabinet to see what was missing. Nick heard him complain to his wife that they'd need a few more bottles of Riesling and resisted the urge to roll his eyes on the way out. Rich people, he swore, would be the death of everyone. He and Hank left and Nick decided to tell Hank about the claw marks on the window sill later. They'd looked recent enough to have been from Rocky, maybe something else was going on.

"Fijian War Club?" he asked when it hit him that Hank had known precisely what the artifact was.

Hank laughed, "My second wife was an anthropologist."

Nick smiled a mischievous smile, then sobered up as they reached the car. "There where two people in that house, so where's Gilda's boyfriend?"

"My guess, Rocky's home right now sleeping it off," Hank replied, they slid into the car. He glanced at Gilda in the rearview mirror. "We're heading back to the precinct. You need to explain some things."

"What about Rocky?" Gilda asked worriedly.

Nick turned and fixed her with a serious look, "I'd worry about you right now, Miss Darner."

Gilda nodded and settled back into her seat.

Nick hummed softly to himself, _Smart girl_.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

In a cave somewhere deep in the forest, a young man knelt by a wall. Rocky was blindfolded and tied so he couldn't go anywhere, but he was warm enough in the damp cold with a fire roaring in the background. A soft growl caught his attention and he jerked, face turned in the general direction of the growl as a figure came by with little more than a whisper. Claws suddenly scratched up the side of his face and he yelled in pain, head jerking to the side. His captor got into his face and snarled, roaring angrily as Rocky panted. He screamed in pain as the claws came down on his leg, less pain was still pain.

If Rocky ever got out of this, he would never break into another house again.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Hank closed the interrogation door as he asked, "So you do this for kicks. Breaking into homes, party hardy?"

"We were just having fun," Gilda defended herself, throwing her hands up and hitting the table.

" _Illegal_ fun," Hank corrected.

Nick sat back in the chair and watched her, wondering if it could've been him in that chair if he hadn't been raised by his Aunt. He focused on the case file in his hand, "Gilda, you said that after you dropped out of the window you heard Rocky scream, you started running away from the house and something chased you."

Gilda sniffled, stifling a sob as she nodded, "Yes." She looked up at Nick, "It's my fault. I should've gone back for him, but I just..." she sniffled again, "I just left him there."

 _She was either a very good actor or_ , Nick thought as she leaned over the table and begged him, "Please, _please_ , you've gotta do _something_ ," _she was being genuine_. Nick had always been a fan of the old fairytales that warned you about doing stupid things like breaking into people's houses. However, Hank didn't call him "a fairy-tale man" for nothing. He wanted Gilda to have her happy ending with her boyfriend, but it was likely she'd take a rap that wasn't all hers and go to jail for too damn long for a misspent youth.

A knock on the door broke him from his musings, he looked up and saw Wu gesture for Hank. As Hank left, Nick held out a handkerchief to Gilda. She took it gratefully and sniffled, wiping the tears and residual makeup from her eyes. "Gilda, do you have any idea who was chasing you? A man, a dog? Some kind of animal?"

Gilda shook her head, "I-I don't know. I don't know. I couldn't get a good look at it, I was so scared I just wanted to get out of there. I know that something terrible has happened to him."

Nick didn't know about that, but with those scratches on the window frame, he couldn't be sure. He nodded, then left the room to follow Hank. He found Hank talking to Wu on the staircase. "They went to Rocky's house. Rocky wasn't there."

"Talked to his dad," Wu added, "Truck driver, just got back the night before last. He hasn't seen Rocky."

"What about his mother?" Nick asked.

"Died when he was a kid," Wu confirmed.

"Did he have a cell phone?" Hank asked as they headed down the stairs.

"He used to, Dad said they had to cut back on expenses, so..."

"Did he have any idea on where the son might be?"

"He said 'if you find his pick-up that's where he'll be'."

Nick scoffed, "Well, his truck's already been impounded, Gilda was driving it last night."

Wu shook his head as he started back to his desk to work on the hundreds of other cases he undoubtedly had. "That's all I got."

Hank huffed, "What if their little party got out of hand, Rocky got hurt? Maybe he fell down the stairs." Nick clicked his tongue, disbelieving. "Maybe Gilda pushed him, broke his neck, Gilda got scared, dumped his body in the river or the woods. Now's she's trying to make it look like she's innocent." Hank finished.

Nick shook his head, "I don't think she's trying to cover anything up. It seems to me she's pushing us to find him. I think we have to take another look at that house they broke into."

Hank thought that over, deciding that Nick had a hunch and it was usually a good thing to follow your hunches. Looking over the house again couldn't hurt anyway. He was about to agree when Nick's phone rang. Nick answered it, "Hello?"

The wheezing voice of his Aunt filled him with a kind of relief he'd not had since Monroe had asked him and Rosalee to move in with him nearly a month ago. "I need to see you. Now."

Nick looked at Hank and Hank nodded, ready to help with whatever Nick needed to do. Nick rushed to the hospital.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

He met the doctor. "How is she?"

"She's very weak, but I realize you may not have much time. I'll be right outside," the doctor set a gentle hand on Nick's arm, then stopped at the nurse's station ad Nick continued to Marie's room.

He offered her a reassuring smile as he entered her room. She smiled back. He sat down and took her hand. "I was afraid I'd lost you."

"Not yet," Marie replied, sadness invading the edges. She didn't want to leave him, but such is the life of a human.

"You're all I have left," Nick whispered, "I don't want this to happen."

"I know," Marie murmured, "But you'll be alright."

"I don't feel like I'm going to be alright, I'm still trying to make sense of everything. If you hadn't have been here, I would've lost my mind." A thought entered Nick's head at that moment, "I'm not sure I haven't."

Marie's voice was steady and firm in a way it hadn't been for a long time, "Don't doubt yourself."

"I've seen so much," Nick breathed, scared eyes locking on his Aunt's weary. More than anything, he didn't want to lose her, didn't want her to go. Somewhere deep inside him, he knew that she had to, that she couldn't stay forever, but the rest of him screamed to hold onto her tight like the disease that was growing old couldn't reach her if he just held on long enough.

"And you'll see more," Marie replied, watching him sadly. She wished she could protect him from this in the way she used to be able to, but she'd always known this day would come. It was why she'd had him study so many languages, why she'd had him take martial arts classes, and why she'd told him about her trailer but never let him inside. "You have a responsibility that you cannot ignore."

Nick huffed out a soft and startled laugh, "I couldn't ignore it if I tried."

Marie took in a labored breath, the pursing of her lips the only indication she was in any kind of pain. "You have to hunt down the bad ones, just like your ancestors did." She drew in another labored breath. "There's a reason you're a cop, you have an ability and you must use it. No matter what happens to me. She closed her eyes, body locking up briefly.

Nick gasped, "I'll go get a doctor."

Marie pulled him back with the grip she had on his hand. "No," she choked out. Nick watched her worriedly as she said, "The Reapers followed me here. That means there could be more."

Nick's spine snapped straighter, this was something he could protect her from. "How many are there?" he asked immediately.

"Nobody knows," Marie gasped in pain, determined to finish this through. "They're a secret organization dedicated to killing us. "

Nick's eyes went wide at the implication that there were more like him, "You mean Grimms? There are more like us?"

"Yes, but I don't have contact with them," Marie replied.

"What about the things I've been seeing? How many more of those are there?" Nick asked. If he had to weed out the bad ones of an entire race, then how many would he be up against? And how many subspecies where there? How many _Blutbads_ and _Fucsbau_?

"There are more in the books than I've ever seen. You must not let the trailer be found. They don't know it exists." Marie ordered. Nick nodded as she continued, "I hope I haven't done more harm than good by coming to you." She gasped, struggling for air as machines began beeping all around her.

The doctor came rushing in, gently pulling Nick back as she began checking over Marie. Nick didn't hear exactly what was said, more concerned with moving quickly out of the way. Nick watched Marie worriedly until she offered a bit of a smile and nodded the best she could. Then he sighed and turned his focus to what she'd said about the reapers. He couldn't protect her from cancer, but he could protect her from the reapers. He thought it over as he headed back to Hank's car.

"How's she doing?" Hank asked as he looked up.

"Well, she's dying of cancer and had two attempts made on her life. Other than that, she's doing alright." Nick replied easily; like this wasn't one of the hardest things he'd ever gone through in his life.

They got into the car and Nick was nearly lost to his thoughts when Hank spoke again, "She's one tough lady."

"I had no idea," Nick mumbled to himself. To Hank, he said, So, you got anything on the Rabes?"

Hank's answer told him that Hank hadn't gotten this information easily, but it was very worth it. "Yeah. Their house sits on about 200 acres and backs up onto the National Forest. 500 square miles of trees behind them, lots of places for Rocky to get lost." Hank started the car and began driving back towards the Rabes' home. "Manhunts are always a challenge, maybe something interesting will happen.

Nick hummed his agreement, wondering just how much a challenge this would be.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

As they drove up the dangerously winding roads that led to the Rabes' house, Hank input another smart decision. "These woods are too big for the two of us, let's get some people out here." Hank let off the breaks as they turned another corner, but suddenly three motorcycles came roaring out of the woods.

"Woah! Hank, look out!" Nick cried.

Hank hit the breaks as one of the motorcycles came to a stop in front of their car, the owner practically daring them to move forward while the other two raced alongside the car and then up to the third motorcyclist. Nick watched the idiot move along, joining his friends in racing up the dirt road. He exchanged a glance with Hank as they continued moving up the driveway slowly so as not to hurt the people operating the bikes. They followed the people up to the Rabes' house, getting more and more frustrated along the way. When the people finally stopped and cut their engines, they were at the Rabes' house. Nick narrowed his eyes, stepping out of the car almost before Hank had stopped and cut off the engine.

Nick was a lawman, he wasn't intimidated by these kids, despite their efforts to scare him and Hank. He resisted the urge to stomp over to the kids, but that didn't mean he wasn't angry. "Hey," he called as the people, boys he realized, took off their helmets. "Nice riding." The sarcasm in his voice couldn't be helped any more than the frustration he felt as the arrogant boy who'd stopped in front of their car smirked.

The lead kid in black looked up from strapping his helmet to his handlebars. "Oh, I hope we didn't scare you," he offered with a non-threatening smile.

Hank spoke up from behind Nick and Nick felt lucky to have Hank as a partner. The older male would back him up, no matter what the situation may be. "Oh, no. You guys are lucky you didn't get thumped."

The arrogant fool spoke up and Nick bristled in anger at his tone. This kid couldn't be more than 18, he had no business speaking to anyone like that. "Look, we knew what we were doing."

"That's a good thing because I hate cleaning blood off a car," Nick snapped back. Hank did not doubt that Nick would've helped him clean the blood up too, that was the kind of person Nick was.

The lead boy spoke up again, attempting to defuse the tension. "Are you guys, uh, here for my parents?"

Nick wished he could've said he wasn't but, to be honest, there was no easy way to go about investigating. "Detectives Burkhardt and Griffin," Nick pulled aside his jacket so the kids could see the badge he kept on his belt.

"You're Barry Rabe. You live here, right?" Hank asked rhetorically. At Barry's nod, Hank held out the picture of Rocky they'd gotten from his distraught father and the picture of Gilda they'd gotten from her arrest report. "Have you guys ever seen either of them?" One of the boys shook his head after a barely-there glance and Nick wanted to roll his eyes as Hank interrupted, "Oh, no, take your time. Make sure you don't know them from _school_ or anything."

The arrogant boy seemed to deflate as he said, "Look, we've never seen them before."

Nick decided then that these kids knew more than they were letting on. As Barry gave his head a shake, then ducked it to pick his leg up and brush some dirt off his jeans, Nick knew they had to have known more. Maybe the friends were in on it, but Barry and his parents had to have been. The door to the Rabes' house opened with a creak and Diane Rabe came out calling, "Boys, dinner's ready. Wash up." She caught sight of the detective, "What are you doing back here? Did you find out who broke into our house?"

The boys slipped past her as she came down the stairs and Barry pressed a kiss to her cheeks before he jumped up the stairs. Nick and Hank walked closer to Diane. "I think so," Nick replied.

Diane turned and called into the house, "Frank, you should come out here." Frank Rabe came lumbering out of the house, the wooden deck creaking under his feet.

Hank offered the picture to Diane, "Ma'am could you take a look at these?"

She took the pictures and looked them over, tilting them towards her husband as he stepped up next to her.

"Now, the girl's already in custody, but we haven't seen the guy yet," Nick informed the pair. "Have you ever seen either of these guys?"

Frank shook his head, "No."

Diane agreed, "Yeah, me neither."

Nick nodded, then called up to the porch, "Hey, Barry, you didn't happen to come home last night did you?"

Diane looked at Nick, "He was staying at Jason and T.B.'s house while we were gone." She said it defensively, angry at an accusation Nick hadn't thrown.

Hank smoothed over her ruffled feathers, "Sorry, Mrs. Rabe, we have to ask. Just in case he saw the boy leave."

Barry spoke up, "No, I didn't get home until this morning after my parents got back." Barry's skin crawled and shifted.

Suddenly, Nick was staring at a bear-like creature with murderous eyes. Nick's mind brought him back to the night his Aunt told him everything and he gulped, fear overtaking him for a moment before he could stop it. He was thankful Hank was more focussed on the Rabes and hadn't noticed.

_(Frank Rabe, however, did notice. It was hard not to when the Detective who'd been so confident moments before suddenly gave off the scent of fear and lowered his eyes in submission to a beast that scared him. Frank watched the Detective a minute longer. Barry didn't have the best control over involuntary shifts yet, but this Detective couldn't have seen him._

_Frank caught a glimpse of his eyes. No, it couldn't be._

_Could it?)_

Barry continued, breaking Nick of his thoughts and refocussing him on the case, "No, I-I didn't see him."

"How far away do you guys live?" Hank asked.

"What is this?" Frank asked, annoyed.

Nick broke in before something bad could happen. God only knew what kind of Wesen this family was and what they would do if they were angry. "We're just trying to figure out where everybody was last night."

Hank picked up the question, "We know they broke into your house, but no one's seen the boy since last night." Frank didn't take his predatory eyes off of Nick and Hank wouldn't admit it, but that set him on edge in a way far more confusing than it should've been.

Nick continued. "The girl said she heard a scream inside the house after she left."

Diane Rabe scoffed, "And you believe someone who broke into our house, drank our wine, ate our food, and took advantage of our bedroom?" Nick resisted the urge to scramble back as she came closer. "I think you'd better off looking under a few rocks. I wish you'd remember that _we're_ the victims here." She turned and herded the boys into the house.

Frank Rabe took her place, "If you want to talk to me, you can call me tomorrow at my law firm." Nick was too experienced as a cop not to take that as the threat it was. He didn't know how Frank Rabe knew, but it was obvious he did. Nick hoped he wasn't about to bring something home he couldn't handle. Nick took a few steps back before he turned and they headed back for the car.

Hank spoke, but Nick didn't hear it over the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. He swore he felt eyes on him as he opened the car door, but he shook the feeling off, "Let's run some phone records, pin down where everyone was last night."

Hank nodded, quickly noting the change between at the door, where his voice was softer and less sure, and now, where he was agitated and worried. He wasn't sure what had happened between then and now, but Hank trusted his partner. Nick would tell him if it was something he needed Hank to know, much like he'd told him about his romantic pursuit. Hank set it aside as he slid into the car.

Nick caught sight of the totem pole and tilted his head at it, wondering if it would give him a clue. He needed to investigate, but maybe those artifacts held a secrete he could unlock. He resolved to look totems up once he got back to the precinct. He slid into the car with a sigh.

What he wouldn't give to have these powers given back.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Across town, the woman who'd attacked Nick walked up to an SUV. The window was rolled down and Captain Sean Renard spoke. "She came out of the coma and I've had to put guards on her."

The woman sighed, "What do you want me to do?"

"We can't allow her to tell him anything more. We need him with us."

"And how do I get to her?"

"Oh, you don't, but you get somebody who can."

"With guards on her?" the woman asked incredulously.

"Don't worry about that, just find the right people- and I do mean _people._ We don't need somebody getting excited and blowing the whole thing." Renard replied, looking directly at her to let her know that he meant it. Last time they did something like this, they lost the asset they'd needed to the assassin rather than the intended target.

A clang made the woman turn, she spotted a man coming towards them with a broken pipe in his hand. "Don't you know this is a bad neighborhood?" the man asked, "How much is it worth for you not to get hurt?"

The woman smirked, cruel eyes flickering as she said, "Don't worry. I'll take care of this." Renard nodded, letting her go. She laughed softly to herself as she began walking over. Her skin crawled, face shifting to one the man hadn't expected to see. He screamed as he tried to run, but he was not fast enough for the woman.

Renard sighed, rolling up the window and watching as the man was killed

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Nick sighed as he scrolled through the website he'd managed to find about totem poles and their significance in cultural beliefs. It wasn't happy hunting so far, but there was always hope for more information just around the corner.

He was at Juliette and Adalind's tonight, not that he wanted to be. He'd much rather be in bed with his two lovers, curling up next to them while they somehow managed to keep him warm through the night, as opposed to freezing in the cold bedroom he'd left behind when Monroe asked him and Rosalee to move in with him. Sadly, as it was, if he stayed with Monroe and Rosalee he'd get angry with them and he didn't want to get angry with them. He was still trying to wrap his head around all of this and he understood why they'd hidden this from him. He'd admitted it to Aunt Marie, he wasn't entirely certain he wasn't going completely crazy. So, much as he'd rather be with Monroe and Rosalee, he stayed with his college friend.

"Nick?" called the voice of his college friend.

"Yeah, in here!" Nick called back, continuing to scroll through the website.

Juliette came through to the dining room and set her bounty on the table, "I picked up Chinese from Lotus and," she held up the other box and Nick perked up, I got Voodoo Donuts."

Nick reached for the box, eyes sparkling. "Ah, you're the best." True to the cop stereotype, Nick _loved_ donuts, and it meant a lot to him that his best friend had gone to get his favorite kind.

Juliette allowed a teasing laugh to pass her lips. "Don't be such a cop, the donuts are for dessert." She leaned over to see what he was doing on his laptop. "Are you buying a totem pole?"

Nick smiled, shaking his head, "No, I saw one outside a house of a case I'm working on."

Juliette pushed her hair from her eyes and read from the screen, "Some kind of clan of the bear. 'The bear is a messenger to the supernatural world. His position of dominance in the totemic hierarchy is the result of a common ancestral belief in the sanctity of their territory'." She hummed, "Is the totem pole some kind of clue?"

Nick shook his head, "I don't know."

A new voice spoke up, "I have no idea what we're talking about, but you make it sound _very_ sexy." Adalind came into the room with a smile. Juliette stood and went to get forks, pausing to kiss Adalind soundly.

"I stopped by to see Marie today!" she called from the kitchen. "It scared me seeing all those police in the hospital, I don't know why anyone would want to hurt her. She can't even die in peace. How are doing with that by the way?"

Nick rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh. "Well, I'm doing too good about it, but... you know, there's nothing I can do. I'm putting on my happy face." He offered a slightly strained smile.

Adalind chuckled, "No, I'm not buying that grin, put it back."

Nick laughed, closing his laptop and taking the offered carton Juliette handed him. Dinner passed by uneventfully, two old friends catching up after not seeing each other in a while. When dinner was finished, Nick told his friends that he had some more research to do, taking his silverware to the sink, his cartons to the trash, and snagging a napkin with two of the donuts on it before leaving to the trailer he'd gone to get when he figured out this case would be Wesen related.

Nick was sketching out the totem pole with the old sketchbook he'd kept from New York when the door to the trailer opened. He leaned over to see if it was Juliette or Adalind, but who came inside the trailer shocked him. "Aunt Marie?" he asked softly, "What are you doing here?"

She came closer, bringing the cold with her. Nick didn't notice that she'd left the door open. "Remember what I told you."

Nick nodded, finding it strange that's what she'd chose to tell him. "Okay."

She glanced at the sketch Nick was making, "There'll be more red." She was moving away before he could contemplate what that meant. Subconsciously, he thought that he didn't keep the colored pencils he had in the trailer. They were in a box somewhere at his house, packed away with the rest of the things he hadn't gotten a chance to put away yet. Moving in with Monroe and Rosalee had been a blessing and curse on getting unpacked, especially with his job keeping strange hours. He brought his attention back to his Aunt as she opened the weapons cabinet and picked up a knife. She came back to his side. "When the sun goes down," she murmured.

Nick stared at the knife she showed him, wondering what Marie wanted him to do with it. He gasped as she suddenly raised it and plunged right into his hand with a sickening crack as it split his bone and the table underneath.

With a yell of phantom pain and panic, Nick shot up in his bed, panting for breath. As he looked around, he reminded himself that he'd left the trailer at nearly midnight. He panted and gasped, struggling for air as fear clouded his mind.

"Nick?" asked Juliette, making her way into the room. "You okay?"

Nick nodded, "Yeah. Yeah. Just uh, just a bad dream. I hope."

"Wanna talk about it?"

Nick nodded absently, haltingly telling her, "My Aunt just stabbed me in the hand."

Juliette sat on the edge of the bed. "What did you do to her?" She took Nick's hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Nope, just a dream," she said with a smile. "But I don't even know where to begin interpreting this one. I was trying to let you sleep, a lot of good that did."

Nick offered a smile as he pulled his knees to his chest. "Hey, where are you going so early?"

"I'm operating on a bulldog at 7. Breakfast is on the stove and Adalind already left. Lock up when you leave?" Juliette smiled back.

Nick nodded and she left. He heard the door close moments later and he sighed, leaning back to lay flat on the bed. He lay there a few minutes, then sat up and got out of bed, beginning to get ready for the day. He showered, brushed his teeth, and got dressed. When he got down to breakfast, he found one of the Voodoo donuts and a small stack of pancakes on the stove. He smiled, mentally thanking his friend for making him breakfast.

When he was done eating, he headed outside and stopped in front of his Aunt's trailer, the lingering remnants of his nightmare making him anxious enough to hesitate. With a shake of his head, he tore open the door and stepped inside before he could think better of it. He looked around, finding nothing out of place. His entire body trembled with fear as he walked over to the weapons cabinet and opened it to look inside. Something caught his eye and he reached up to pull it down.

The claws had snapped off and it was aged with years of being locked away with bite and scratch marks all over it, but there was no mistaking what it was. The same artifact as the Rabes had in their home. His Aunt's voice echoed in his ears, _You need to hunt down the bad ones_. Barry's shift into whatever kind of Wesen he was flashed to the forefront of his mind. Nick gasped, knowing two things immediately.

One, this was far more dangerous than he'd originally thought, and two, they needed to find Rocky soon.

God only knew what the Rabes would do to him.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Monroe was in the middle of his morning Pilates when Nick unlocked the door and walked in with something wrapped in what was traditionally used to house a wine bottle. Monroe took a single look at him and noted the way his shoulders lost tension simply from being inside their home, the relief he seemed to radiate, and the fear pouring off of him in waves that were steadily ebbing away. "I thought you weren't coming back until tomorrow night?"

Nick tilted his head with a faint smile, "We need to talk."

Monroe checked the time. Rosalee would be up soon, he thought absently, "At 6:30 in the morning?"

Nick nodded, "I have to be at the precinct soon and it's best to talk before."

Monroe sighed, flipping himself up to stand and heading to the kitchen, "I'll start the coffee. You hungry?"

Nick shook his head as he followed Monroe, "Already ate."

Monroe made the coffee quickly and handed Nick the blue mug with the hand-painted police badge. "What do you want to talk about?"

Nick offered the wine bottle wrapping he'd come in with and Monroe took it, setting down his mug and pulling out the object within as Nick asked, "Have you ever seen one of these?"

Monroe examined the brutish artifact with trepidation and a bit of fear. The Wesen who used these were to be left alone, even Blutbaden didn't mess with them. "Not up close, thank God." He brought it closer to his face and breathed in its scent. The wooden object was aged and musty from spending years shut up somewhere and left untouched, but traces of its old owners and victims remained in the cracks and crevices. "I think _Jagerbars_ use these for disemboweling. Now, I'm hungry." Monroe gently handed it back to Nick and turned to open the fridge.

Nick tilted his head, looking so much like a lost puppy it hurt, "What do you know about _Jagerbars_?"

"What am I, your personal Grimmopedia?" Monroe asked with no heat, pulling a peanut butter jar from the top shelf and opening it to spread some on the bagel.

Nick took the teasing for what it was and chuckled. "No, you're a _Blutbad_ , and I'm assuming that _Blutbaden_ know about _Jagerbars_? You see them like I see them, right?"

Monroe nodded, "Yes."

"I'm just trying to figure out what I'm up against."

Monroe sighed, "Okay. Well, firstly, _Blutbaden_ and _Jagerbars_ are vastly different. We don't rummage like they do. How'd you run across a Jagerbar anyway?"

The spike of fear that his Monroe made him want to tuck Nick up in their bedroom and stand guard at the door until he was sure the danger had passed. He wanted to hold Nick close and make him feel safe, but he reigned the instinct in. Nick had to make the first move here, Monroe and Rosalee had hidden something big from him and Nick needed time to process. Monroe would give Nick all the time in the world if it meant Nick would come back to them. They'd been dating for two years now, but he was still afraid that Nick would back off their relationship, decide that it was too much for him. He refused to lose Nick if he could salvage their relationship. Nick swallowed back the fear and Monroe was reminded of their first fight. Nick had said things he was afraid of that night, had said things he hadn't meant, then got the same look of fear on his face and suddenly bolted out the door. Monroe forced those thoughts from his mind. It would do no good no dwell on old fights.

Nick's voice broke Monroe from his thoughts, "I'm working on a case and I saw a kid turn into one."

"Is that where you got the claw?" Monroe asked, eye flickering briefly before he got them under control and cleaned up his utensils and put the bread and peanut butter back.

"No, my Aunt had it."

Monroe hummed, "She has a trailer, right. All kinds of fun stuff in there I'm sure. You know, you're Aunt is a legend in the Wesen world. I've had sleepless nights worrying that she'd come cut off my head and stick it on a lamp post."

"Not recently, I hope," Nick replied worriedly.

Monroe shook his head. "No, you and Rose kept me pretty busy these past few years."

"Did you go and see her, by the way? After you left the hospital?"

"Rose tried, but they were still running tests. She's planning on stopping by after work. Anyway, they use those claws in _roh-hatz_."

Nick blinked at that, the first part came from both Indonesian and German, meaning very different things in both languages, but the second part didn't come from any language Nick knew. " _Roh-hatz_."

"It's like a bar mitzvah for bears. You know, a _Jagerbar_ mitzvah, it's a very physical thing." Monroe replied. "A lot of pounding of chests and, like, wailing. Who wails anymore? Supposed to connect with the primitive beasts inside all of us, and believe me I mean all of us."

"So what do they do?" Nick raised an eyebrow, fear coming back tenfold. He shuffled a few steps closer to Monroe, letting the warmth sink into his skin, hoping to ward off the sudden chill he felt.

Monroe chose not to call him out on that, knowing from experience that it never ended well to push Nick into something he wasn't ready for. "It's all about the chase," he said instead.

"What chase?" Nick sipped at the coffee, wondering at the idea.

"The roh-hatz is mostly caveman mumbo-jumbo, 'let's get some beers and barbeque and be stupid'." added in the voice of Rosalee. She came in and snagged the coffee pitcher and her thermos. "Can't stay long, Freddy's gotten sick and I have to take over. Why are we asking about _roh-hatz_?"

"For a case, one of the kids turned into a Jagerbar. I'm just trying to figure out more information." Nick replied.

Rosalee hummed and nodded, closing up her thermos. "Alright. Be careful, Nicky. _Jagerbars_ are dangerous Wesen," she leaned over and kissed Monroe, a quick peck that she did every morning before she left. She turned to Nick and tilted her head, asking a single question with only eyes. Nick smiled and nodded, opening his arms. She fit herself to his side, then pecked his cheek. "Stay safe."

Nick nodded, "Promise."

Once the door had closed behind her, Nick turned and looked at Monroe, "Anything else I should know?"

Monroe shook his head, "No, not off the top of my head. You know, I like camping as much as the next guy. Maybe once a year."

Nick realized something suddenly, "I have to go." He drank the rest of the coffee, then set the mug in the sink. There was no hesitation when he came over and kissed Monroe hard. Monroe returned the kiss easily. Nick had the way of kissing that made you feel like this was the last time you'd see him, which given his chosen profession could be entirely true. Monroe returned that passion in a way that told Nick that no matter what, he loved Nick dearly.

When Nick pulled back, he smiled at his partner, then rushed out the door as he did most morning at too-damn-early. "Love you, Monore!"

Monroe smiled, "Love you too, Nick!" He sighed, closing his eyes and taking another bite of his bagel.

_Please be safe._

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Nick was putting the finishing touches on his sketch when Marie waking up caught his attention. "What are you drawing?" she asked. Nick showed her the sketch he'd made in the black book he kept, hoping she'd have some advice. "Jagerbar," she said. Nick nodded. She turned her eyes to her sister's child. "You saw one?"

"There was a family, but the boy's the only one I saw," Nick replied.

"How old?"

"Eighteen."

"That could be a problem if they're traditional," Marie warned. "Anyone die?"

"I don't know, I've got a missing person. You know what the _roh-hatz_ is?" Nick hoped his Aunt would assume he'd gotten the term from the journals she kept in her trailers.

"You're learning," Marie offered the ghost of a smile, "That's good. It's a rite of passage from boy to man. They do it at sunset." Marie closed her eyes against bad memories, "It isn't pretty. The red of the sun and the blood on their hands."

Nick's mind brought up echoes of Marie's word from his dreams, _There'll be more red when the sun goes down._ Nick worried over on the way it to the precinct. Hank stopped him, "Just got the phone records. Several calls were made between nine and midnight. We triangulated a call made from Barry Rabe's cell phone that puts him at his house at 11:30 that night."

"When Gilda was there with Rocky," Nick said.

"Yeah, so Barry's lying and lawyer Dad is running interference."

"Oh, a lawyer doing a bad thing? Never heard of that before." Nick smiled, remembering the first real case he'd been on when a lawyer had been in on the crime.

"Hey, Nick. Can I talk to you a minute?" Renard asked from behind him.

"Yes, sir?" Nick asked, whipping around to face the man.

"Listen, I had to pull the guys guarding your Aunt at the hospital," Renard wished things could be different, he did, but circumstances didn't allow for it.

Nick's eyes went wide, "What?"

"With no hard evidence of a second attack, I couldn't justify the expense to the Cheif without it looking like we're giving preferential treatment to police families." Renard watched Nick try to process that. "I'm sorry, but my hands are tied."

Nick nodded, knowing immediately what he was going to do now. He waited until Renard had left, then glanced at Hank. Hank sighed, "Go on. You'll just sneak off anyway. I'll cover you."

Nick smiled, "Thanks, Hank." He headed off. He called one of the only people he could trust with his Aunt.

" _Monroe._ "

"Hey, 'Roe." Nick murmured.

" _Twice in one day, huh?_ "

"I need a favor."

" _Sure, what's up?_ "

"Can you meet me at the hospital?"

" _I'll be there in ten._ "

"Thank you, Monroe."

" _See you soon, Nicky._ "

They exchanged the usual 'I love you's and Nick headed back to Hank to ask if they could stop at the hospital. Hank agreed and they were there in record time. Monroe met them at the entrance and Nick explained the plan on the way up to Marie's room. Monroe blinked slowly, "Nicky, you know I love and trust you with everything in me, right?"

Nick nodded, "Of course."

Monroe nodded, "Okay. The same sentiments don't extend to your Aunt, who has killed many innocent Wesen in her time. So, please know I say this with all the love in my heart, but _are you out of your_ mind? Nick, I can't do this."

Nick reached out and snagged Monroe's sleeve, "I just need you your help until I can figure something else out."

"Nicky, I'm not a cop," Monroe protested.

"I'm already about to register you and Rosalee as Civilian Informants as it is, and you're the only one who knows what I'm going through! I'll owe you one," Nick pleaded.

Monroe opened his mouth to protest, then closed it and sighed, "Nick, you already owe me three."

Nick tilted his head, "Three?"

Monroe nodded as he counted them off, "The little girl who was kidnapped, the _Jagerbar_ this morning, and now _this_."

Nick sighed, gave a nod, "I owe you three."

"Nicky, how do you even know I'm going to stay and protect her?" Monroe asked as he eyed Marie nervously, looking almost like he'd bolt right then and there.

"Oh, that's simple." Nick leaned up and pressed his lips gently to Monroe's cheek, "It's because I trust you."

And _oh,_ wasn't that just a kick in the stomach? No one could ever trust a _Blutbad_. No one had ever bothered to try. Even other Wesen regarded _Blutbaden_ as something to be wary of, as something to be feared. No one in the history of Wesen creatures had dared to go far enough to trust a _Blutbad_. The Grimms had been hunting _Blutbaden_ for years, they'd murdered and killed so many, even the history books had lost count, but _Nick._ His beautiful, wonderful, _crazy_ Nick trusted him. Even despite having to have read what his Aunt's books undoubtedly said about _Blutbaden_ , Nick still trusted Monroe. Nick trusted Monroe so much, he was placing the life of his frail, dying Aunt- his _Grimm_ Aunt- in Monroe's hand, even knowing what Monroe could do to her with just a little bit of the strength in his hands. At that moment, Monroe had never loved Nick more.

 _Oh, Nicky. You don't even know what you're putting your trust in._ Monroe sighed, "Okay."

Nick smiled, all bright eyes and confidence like this wasn't possibly the worst decision he was making. "I'll be back as soon as I can." He turned and walked over to his Aunt, pressing a kiss to her forehead and murmuring softly to her. Nick turned back to Monroe, "Thank you so much, Monroe."

Monroe huffed, "Yeah, well." He gently swatted Nick's arm, "Put those puppy-dog eyes away once in a while, okay?"

Nick laughed, "I love you. I'll call you when I'm on my way."

Monroe hummed, pulling Nick into a hug, then a kiss. "I love you too, Nicky. Go save the day."

Nick grinned, then he was gone and Monroe was left with Marie Kessler, Killer of Wesen. "What did I get myself into?" he sighed.

Nick was heading down the stairs when the call from Hank came. "Yeah?"

" _Rocky's Dad just called. Gilda's made bail. She went over to his house and got a gun Rocky had in his room. He couldn't stop her, she said she was going to get Rocky back or kill the people that took him._ " Hank rushed out.

Nick's eyes went wide and he rushed double-time down the stairs. Gilda was going to get herself hurt. He had to stop her.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Hank got them to the Rabes' home just after Frank Rabe got there. Nick stepped out first, crossing the driveway quickly. "What do you want?" Frank Rabe asked.

"The woman who broke into your house is on her way here and she's not happy," Nick spoke quickly.

"She's got a gun," Hank added.

"What? Is everything okay?" Frank asked, looking at his wife.

"Everything's fine," Diane replied nervously.

"I don't really think so," Nick interjected, shaking his head. His fear nudged at the edges of his mind and he pushed it away. His fear had no place here.

"It doesn't look like she's here yet," Hank broke in, "I'm going back down the road. I'll block it off in case she shows."

Nick waited until Hank had backed down the driveway before he whipped around and pinned the couple with a worried stare. "Alright, we need to talk. I know who you are, you know who I am, so let's cut the crap."

Frank narrowed his eyes, "You wanna cut the crap? Okay. You're a Grimm. You're a _danger_ to my family and don't think wearing a badge is going to protect you."

 _Wow, two threats in one day. Wonder what the record is._ Nick thought absently. "This isn't about me," he told the Rabes.

Frank's eyes went wide. _What kind of Grimm doesn't try to kill us right on the spot?_

Nick looked at Diane Rabe, "I know about the hunt."

"What are you talking about?" Frank asked.

"The _roh-hatz_ ," Nick elaborated.

"Nobody does that anymore," Frank protested.

Nick huffed in frustration, " _Yes_ , they do and when the sun goes down tonight, it's going to be too late." He almost wanted to scream his frustration to the sky, "Look, Barry and those two boys have Rocky, and we don't have a lot of time."

Frank shifted uncomfortably and Nick actually had to restrain himself.

"Come on, you're a lawyer," Nick said, voice deadly calm, "If they kill this innocent kid over this stupid hunt, their lives are over."

Frank looked at his wife, "Where are they?"

"I told you," Diane Rabe snapped back.

" _Where_ are they?"

Diane folded her arms, "Why don't you ask to see his warrant," she snapped irritably. Then she turned and stomped back into the house.

Frank set down his suitcase, "Oh my God. I didn't realize."

Nick growled low in his throat, "So what do you wanna do, you wanna go inside? Have a few drinks forget about it?" Nick gave a single thought to the fact that this was exactly how he'd treat a non-Wesen suspect, then pushed it aside. "Or do you want to come with me?"

Frank looked at the Detective, taking in a whiff of his full scent and detecting something strange. The Detective had been _claimed_ he realized, that was the strange smell he'd scented. He'd been claimed by a _Blutbad_ and a _Fucsbau_. That gave Frank all the information he needed to make up his mind. He pulled off his suit jacket, "Okay," he agreed, "But we're going to have to take me four-wheeler."

"You know where they are?" Nick asked, relief clear as day in his voice.

Frank pinned Nick with a deathly serious stare, not dissimilar to the one Nick had used earlier, "I think I know where they might be." Frank slipped past Nick with a grace born of many years worth of running through the woods. Nick followed with a grace born of many years worth of martial arts, scrambling to keep up with the taller male. He slid into the passenger seat, looking at Frank as he spoke again. "If we find them, promise me you won't hurt them," he pleaded.

Nick sighed, "I won't if I don't have to."

Frank nodded, then started the four-wheeler, and they were off, racing through the woods to find Barry and his friends before they ruined their lives. He called Hank, asking for anything he had. Hank told him that he'd found her truck. "I'm with Frank Rabe, I'm going after the boys. I'll call you if I get anything." He hung up and pocketed his phone, sharp eyes looking out over the woods.

He prayed they weren't too late.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Monroe sighed, thinking how ridiculous his lover was that he'd left Monroe with his Aunt for an attack that may not happen. Then he remembered the time Nick had insisted upon staying with his Aunt when she'd fallen ill a few years ago when they first started dating and settled down some. He leaned against the doorway. He didn't know what possessed him, but he started talking. "Your people murdered my grandfather," he said to Marie, "The Grimms burned down his farm, they cut off his head, his hands, and his feet. He may have deserved it for some of the things he did, but if my parents could see me now. Standing this close to you and not avenging the family? Last Thanksgiving I'd be invited to, I can tell you that."

Marie's eyes opened slowly and Monroe came closer, "Marie."

She spoke, voice soft, "Take your best shot, _Blutbad._ "

Monroe saw red as he felt his eyes turn, he was so _very_ tempted, but then he remembered the way Nick had smiled when Monroe agreed to watch Marie until he got back, the feeling of Nick's lips pressed against his cheeks, the way his voice sounded as he murmured, _It's b_ _ecause I trust you_ , and he knew he'd never be able to hurt Marie. He was distracted by footsteps that didn't belong. He turned and a man came up but turned away once Monroe caught sight of him.

Monroe looked at Marie and sighed, "I'll be back."

Marie watched him go, confusion littering her face. She'd known what he was the moment he'd started talking. She almost couldn't believe her Nick had gotten into a relationship with a _Blutbad_ , but then Nick had always seen only the best in other people. She sighed, at least she knew Nick would be safe.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Nick and Frank pulled up to the trail and Frank cut the engine. "We'll have to take the trail from here."

"How do you know they'll be there?" Nick asked as he followed Frank down and over the trail.

"I don't," Frank replied, then rushed off into the wood.

Nick followed him as closely as he could. He'd been camping plenty, he knew how to take care of himself in the woods, but he didn't dare let Frank get too far ahead so he didn't get left behind.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Monroe followed the guy down to the basement and into what had to be the boiler room. He could feel the tension in the air, so thick he could cut it with his claws. He was looking the other way when he caught the scent. He was blindsided by the punch. He hit the basket to the left and a pair of hands grabbed onto his belt and the back of his shirt. He was dragged over to the floors where another man came and hit him in the stomach. He was hit in the face and his knees where kicked in, causing him to fall to the floor where he was kicked at least three times. With a growl, he rose to his hands and knees. His skin crawled and he felt the shift take over.

They were trying to kill someone who belonged to him and not only that, but they'd physically harmed him. With a snarl, he attacked, picking one of the men up and tossing him to the ceiling, then letting him fall to the floor. He turned on the other man and rushed at him, grabbing his arm. He threw the man against the column, twisting his arm one way and breaking it, then the other and snapping it clean off. As he came back to himself, horror rushed through every nerve. He gasped for air, staring at the two he'd hurt. "Okay, that went too far," he said, shaking his head. He looked around, dropping the arm and running away.

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

Nick followed Frank through the woods, letting him guide the way. "There's a cave up ahead," Frank told him in a hushed voice. Nick nodded, following closely behind the man. They crouched behind a log and Nick pulled his service weapon, hoping he wouldn't have to use it. Frank gently touched his arm. "Let me go in there first and try to talk to them," he pleaded. He started to stand.

"No!" Nick cried, grabbing the man's shirt and pulling him back down. He couldn't let Frank go in there with no backup. He didn't want to be responsible for someone else's death. "I'm either going in with you or I'm going in alone."

Frank panted, then nodded and started off again. Nick followed quickly. Frank led the way inside and Nick looked around with something akin to fear shifting anxiously in his stomach. Frank held up a shirt. "We're too late." He held the shirt close to his nose and breathed in. His skin crawled and he shifted with a mighty roar. Nick bit back a fearful gasp. He didn't lift his weapon, but by God did his finger twitch towards the trigger. _He couldn't be caught off guard again,_ his mind whispered, but Nick shook that thought away.

"It's started," Frank snarled and he rushed from the cave.

Nick darted out of the way, then followed after him. He broke into a run, struggling to keep up with the faster _Jagerbar_. He finally caught up with Frank just as the older male ran into Gilda Darner and Rocky. He shouted at them, "Get out!"

They rushed past him, one of the _Jagerbars_ on their trail. Nick braced himself, then kicked the male in the chest as hard as he could, sending him falling to the floor. Another came clawing at his head. Nick ducked, then grabbed his arm and threw him to the ground. He pulled his weapon and shot into the air, aiming it at the last male. "This isn't going to get any better unless you stop."

"No!" Frank cried, rushing forward. The shift drained from his face and he stood in front of his son, holding a hand out to Nick, "Barry, son, this is over."

Nick lowered his weapon, glancing between Gilda and Rocky, Jason and T.B., and Frank and his son. Frank looked back at his son, "It stops now."

Barry had both eyes on Nick, fear making his blood run cold. He stepped forward, "No!"

Nick panted for breath suddenly aware of the footsteps rushing up from behind, he whipped around, raising the gun again. Barry cried out again, "Mom, don't!"

Diane Rabe didn't listen, continuing forward only to fall into a leaf-covered trap with a wail of pain and then silence. Nick lowered his weapon and stepped up to the edge. "Oh, no," he whispered. Barry came rushing over, but Nick held out his arm and caught him. "No! No, Barry. I'm so sorry," he told the boy, "But no."

Barry's eyes filled with tears as the scent of blood hit his nose. "Mom," he cried, "No."

Nick held him by the arm as Frank came rushing over. Nick stopped him too and shook his head. "I'm so sorry, Mr. Rabe."

Frank looked at him with wide brown eyes full of pain. He glanced at Barry, then back at Nick. "This," he cut off with a muffled sob, "This is why the _roh-hatz_ was stopped. This is what becomes of those who continue an outdated tradition. I wish I could've stopped her." Frank stepped over to his son and pulled him into a hug.

Father and son grieved as one and Nick wished he didn't have to arrest the kids. For now, he gave them the time they deserved. As he looked down at the poor dying woman who'd died protecting an out-dated tradition, he only wished he could give them more time. The paramedics arrived quickly, but Nick knew that nothing could save Diane Rabe. He let Barry have his last words to his mother, Barry deserved that much.

"You have to protect your ancestors," he heard Diane say weakly.

Frank shook his head, "Not like this."

Nick didn't listen to the rest. He began following Hank and Sgt Wu, but Frank Rabe called him back. "Detective." Nick turned to face whatever Frank would say. "She wanted them to understand their heritage, she never understood the danger of it." Nick kept his silence, Frank continued, "It isn't easy to give up your history. You haven't had to give up yours."

Nick sighed, "Yeah, it's been a lot of fun." As he walked away he thought, _My entire world turned upside down, finding out my Aunt, Monroe, and Rosalee were keeping things from me, finding out that the fairytales where real, it's been a_ lot _of fucking fun._ He thought miserably. Just then, his phone rang and he stopped to answer it. "Hello?"

" _You told me to protect her, Nicky, and I did, but I think I may have gone a little overboard. I can't stick around, things are getting dicey. You should get down here, I don't think I got all of them._ "

Nick started walking again with a sigh. "Alright, I'll be there soon. You go home, I shouldn't be too long."

Monroe was gone by the time he reached the hospital, but Nick felt his heart sink anyway. When he reached his Aunt, she was falling. He slipped on a wounded man's coat but still managed to catch her before she fell. "Remember who you are," she panted in his ear, "Trust your instincts and nothing else." She pulled back and looked at him, regarding him with the fondness she'd only ever had for him. _I love you,_ she thought. Then she was gone.

Nick looked at her in panic, "No." He gasped for air. "No, Marie."

A nurse came rushing up and took her, but Nick knew. The same way he'd known there was no hope for Diane Rabe, he knew that Marie was gone. He stayed long enough for the doctors to get everything they needed, then he was gone. He went back to Juliette and Adalind's house and gathered his things, moving stiffly and robotically. When Juliette stopped him and asked what was wrong, he only offered a stiff smile and told her he'd be okay.

She let him go, but the moment he pulled out of the driveway, she was on the phone. "Rosalee? It's Nick. I don't think he's okay."

_Grimm~Grimm~Grimm_

He left the trailer attached to his jeep, for now, resolving to find somewhere for it later, and headed home on autopilot. He refused to let the tears fall, but he felt the immediate relief that being home brought with him. He needed to feel safe and nowhere else would. He just hoped Monroe and Rosalee would still have him. He stopped in front of the door and hesitated. Would they even want him right now? God, look at what he'd asked of Monroe and how that mess had turned out. Would he be welcomed back?

The door suddenly opened and Nick was grasped by the upper arms and pulled into the house. "Nick!" Rosalee cried.

Nick recognized Monroe's voice, "We where worried sick, are you okay?"

Nick shook his head trying to clear it but was unsuccessful. "I um, I just wanted to, uh... How-How are you doing, Monroe?"

Monroe shook his head, "I'm fine, I'll live. Part of being me, Nicky. What happened after I left, is Marie okay?"

Nick's eyes filled with tears, the blue of them dull and sad, "Marie is... Marie, she um... She," Nick cut off as a sob wrenched itself free and he crashed to his knees on the ground, tears flowing freely. "She's dead," he whispered, curling in on himself, "I-I'm alone now."

Rosalee and Monroe looked at each other, then knelt next to their hurting lover, wrapping him in hugs and murmuring soothing nonsense. Nick eventually cried himself out, sniffling and hiccuping in their arms until he gave into exhaustion and fell asleep. Monroe carried him up to bed while Rosalee locked up and turned out the lights. They wrapped themselves around him, bracketing him between them, offering warmth and protection to their younger lover. They glanced at each other and both decided that no matter what happened, they wouldn't leave him.

As long as they were around, he'd never be alone again.

**Author's Note:**

> So, I ended this one very different from the actual episode, but I did what I did and it happened. Here are 14,335 more words of my rewrite. Enjoy!


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